127 Comments

We cannot imagine having our children snatched away from us. There are laws about civil rights, parental rights, and child abuse and neglect. But when most of us here were adults, our federal government authorized the forcible removal of children from their families and displacement into residential schools or white Christian families, followed by eradication of their native language, culture, and dress under the threat of severe physical punishment, and permanent cut off from their families of origin through adoption—if they lived through the diseases and rampant physical/sexual abuse.

Since the policies of President Andrew Jackson and the Indian Removal Act in 1830, this has been the case for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) children—until passage of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in 1978.

In 1978:

• 25%–35% of all AI/AN children were removed from their homes by state child welfare and private adoption agencies.

• 85% of AI/AN children removed were placed outside of their families and communities—even when fit and willing relatives were available.

https://www.nicwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Setting-the-Record-Straight-2018.pdf

There are no reparations for these families. It appeared that at least we as a nation had taken a significant step in the right direction. And now we learn that trump and his minions removed about 3,800 migrant children from their parents in 2017-2018? The words “separation” and “removal” cannot adequately convey the trauma for these children and their families.

Then we follow the money, thanks to HCR’s Facebook reader Carol Crockett:

“I believe the agencies coordinating the children's placement with foster parents are "christian" agencies linked to Betsy DeVos. Puts the US in the same category of the missing/stolen children in Ireland, Spain, and Argentina.”

https://www.snopes.com/news/2018/06/26/bethany-christian-services-family-separation-betsy-devos/

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Thank you, Ellie. This is huge in a deeply disturbing way.

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Thanks, Ellie. This hurts my heart and soul. Everyone involved in such schemes is evil.

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It is rightly said that we will probably be judged in the future by the way we brought up, educated and treated our children as this will shape what their future can be. With the destructive and isolating forces of social media drowning out the inherited cultural precepts, economic and sanitary uncertainty, environmental spoliation and massive public indebtedness wrecking havoc with our childrens' potential we might indeed be in for savage condemnation.

Taking children away from their parents and wider cultural family institutions greatly hampers their ability to understand...and "be" ...who they are and what is their place in the world. You rightly underline the role of enforced, lengthy "white boarding school" cultural "re-education camps" in the cultural genocide waged on Native Americans...and we dare remonstrate with the Chinese government over their horrendous treatment of their Turkish muslim minorities!

The Australian and Candian governments treated their indigenous poultions to the same "treatment" ; both have recognized the error of their ways and the inestimable damage to whole peoples...and the recently arrived immigrant populations! The US has not yet made it's Mea Culpa and needs to undergo it's own "re-education " program.

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I couldn’t agree more. “Re-education” is desperately needed, but trying to get that across to pre-programmed minds is like cleaning the Aegean Stables. I would like to see some think-tank work on how this might actually happen.

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I, too, am appalled at the blinders we have had on for way too long! How is it that we simply buried our heads in the sand and ignored these harsh facts? We are an awful society.

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The news has blown up, in terms of sensationalism, dis-information, and with the Internet, sheer volume. It is sadly easy for these events to fly under the radar. The good news is how we use the Internet to bring these things to light.

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Thank you, Ellie, for that much-needed perspective.

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Biden is campaigning by advertising on multiple media in multiple markets, including nationally. He has the cash to do it. Trump is going broke. Maybe Putin could forward him some rubles through that Chinese bank account.

Speaking of Chinese banks...

Trump paid $188,561 in Chinese taxes on what? Income? Property? If Trump has business interests in China while he is formulating US/China trade/tariff policy, it is a huge conflict of interest. One more to add to the list.

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Reminding us of how much trump paid in U.S. income taxes during that period of 2013-2015:

“ While Mr. Trump crisscrossed the country in 2015 describing himself as uniquely qualified to be president because he was “really rich” and had “built a great company,” his accountants back in New York were busy putting the finishing touches on his 2014 tax return.

After tabulating all the profits and losses from Mr. Trump’s various endeavors on Form 1040, the accountants came to Line 56, where they had to enter the total income tax the candidate was required to pay. They needed space for only a single figure.

Zero.

For Mr. Trump, that bottom line must have looked familiar. It was the fourth year in a row that he had not paid a penny of federal income taxes.”

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/27/us/donald-trump-taxes.html

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It's funny because Trump thinks that he is being clever playing these accounting games when in reality, any basic finance specialist or normal business leader will tell you that any business that pays no taxes for several years in a row and intends that to continue into the future is in trouble; it isn't essentially making any real money and the accountants are just dressing up a "ZOMBIE" company with irrelevant bells and whistles to hide its pending bankrupcty. Trump has thus been running a failing Ponzi scheme for years and lives on borrowed time and money......hoping that he can run so fast that his debts will never catch up with him.

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Vote him out and let's see how quickly SDNY descends on him.

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Let me add a bit of levity to this tax story. My TV has been acting strangely lately and I actually saw this commercial on it. Here's the text which I recorded. Hmmm.

"You don’t know what it’s like, having the IRS call you a couple of times a week, all hours of the day, and filling your mailbox with threatening letters. I gotta tell ya, I was losing sleep over it. Ya know, they can garnishee your wages, take you house, take your bank account, it’s awful.

But then I called the number on those TV ads for Maxima Tax Relief. I owed IRS over $140,000,000 in income tax they said I never paid… but Maxima got it reduced to $1500, paid over two years, $750 a year. What a relief. Now I can sleep again. And I have the paperwork to prove it!"

Satisfied Customer DJT"

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Along with that, Ralph, why does Ivanka's Chinese multi-patents not get more coverage. I remember they were patents for...voting machines? I haven't researched this recently but wonder what others have to contribute about this.

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"What's True

China granted trademarks for multiple products, potentially including voting machines, under Ivanka Trump's eponymous brand in late 2018.

What's False

Ivanka Trump, who serves as an adviser to her father President Donald Trump, shuttered her business in 2018.

[...]

Although Ivanka Trump’s now reportedly shut-down brand may hold a variety of trademarks in China, it’s unlikely she’ll be involved in manufacturing sausage casings, coffins, or voting machines in the foreseeable future."

From Snopes, 10/9/19

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ivanka-trump-voting-machines/

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If it's anything like her father's pitiful attempts to invest in Moscow, she was being paid for her name by some smart "Chinese cookies" and is being progressively abandoned, like in her "fashion" failures, as the Trump name "loses it's appeal".

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$188,561 in taxes in China from 2013 to 2015 and only $750 in US. Big, big problem.

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NYT reported that in 2013-2015, trump actually paid zero federal income taxes.

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Of all of the choice of priorities right now, I believe that passing a coronavirus relief package should take the top spot. It is very telling that McConnell is placing the confirmation of ACB to the Supreme Court above the dire straights and suffering of many Americans. He is incredibly despicable! It is also very depressing that the continuing revelations of Trump's corruption will probably fall on deaf ears!

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I have read that throughout his career, the most important action for McConnell has been ensuring conservative judges at every level of the judiciary. Not legislating, not looking out for his fellow Kentuckians, not junkets abroad ... only and solely conservative judges.

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Pure selfishness and wanton power grab. “McConnell to America: Drop Dead” (to borrow a famous headline from the NY Daily News). It’s always been about judges and power.

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It's worse than that. Moscow Mitch does not want to pass a relief bill, because he expects 45 to lose and he wants the American people to suffer as much as possible for the next two years, in order to help his party in the next national elections.

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I believe it as well.

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Sadly, I believe that.

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“... McConnell (R-KY) has privately told Republican senators that he opposes the idea, and has warned the White House not to negotiate with Pelosi before the election.” This leapt out at me (I despise the man). Who the f#$k does he think he is? This man MUST go. Are you listening, KY?

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McConnell is evil incarnate, and more than anything I hope the people of Kentucky finally "ditch Mitch." He could care less about the folks there, or the country as a whole. Yes, Marcy, is KY listening?

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Some of us are listening and working hard for Amy McGrath, but given my past experience I think it's really a long shot...and I don't really understand why...I know plenty of my neighbors who despise McConnell but still vote for him.

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Perhaps it was you, Sue, who pointed out previously that McGrath hasn’t been the strongest opponent for McConnell. Still, it is so hard to understand why he continues to be re-elected. I understand that many in Kentucky are conservative, ideological voters (e.g. against a woman’s right to choose), but McConnell’s arrogance, obstructionist politics, and the self-dealing by he & his wife should be enough to oust him. And after watching him laugh his way through the recent debate with McGrath, it is astounding to me that a majority of Kentuckians wouldn’t choose McGrath.

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And isn’t that just sad? That’s what people did about Fake 45 too. They found him to be the “lesser of the two evils”. Well, some of those people have paid the price... with their lives.

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My thoughts exactly.

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Hey, Marcy. I have long forgotten where I read this, but the reason McConnell does not want a stimulus bill approved is because he suspects 45 will lose the election and he, McConnell, does not want $$ infused into the economy that would help Biden as he digs us out of this mess. Sorry, my memory doesn't allow me to provide a link.

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Lynell: You read it right here on HCR's letter. I forget the source or date but you can bet Heather reported it.

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Thanks, Robert. After I posted to Marcy, I thought it might have been from her!

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It seems like multitudes of villains are circling the drain. I do want the Biden Admin. to prosecute each violation of the Hatch Act plus any other "Act" violation and make sure the whole crime family is indicted. Otherwise, why have laws in the first place?

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I have no direct proof but I theorize that the virus has mutated to a less virulent strain. There are different strains which have different infectious and virulence characteristics. I am convinced that’s why Trump, Tillis, Christie did so well. In my ICU practice in NY the patients aren’t as sick. I am contacting virology colleagues to find out if the genomic testing to assess these characteristics is ongoing

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This article is encouraging, but I'm still going to stay a hermit, and I encourage everyone to wear a mask, practice social distancing and keep washing your hands, please. As noted in the article, if masks may not entirely stop the spread of the coronavirus, they reduce the viral load and thus lead to less disastrous bouts. However, even with better treatment and declining death rates, many victims who recover often still suffer lingering long-term damage to their lungs and other organs.

The article doesn't mention anything about the virus having mutated to a less virulent strain, but I thought it interesting.

https://www.wnyc.org/story/studies-point-to-big-drop-in-covid-19-death-rates/?fbclid=IwAR0R__GkutrPQBrEqReGlYaM7zlnXjNSvrE4Cc5QxysNk35Ty-MwaWfSpX0

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Agree totally. Just sharing my clinical impression. Even if I am correct. And that’s a big if. I will employ all that you are doing. Thanks for sharing

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Thanks, Alan. I'm glad your patients in NY are doing better.

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Please let us know what you find out. What do you think of the idea that because so many people are wearing masks, those who do get exposed enough to be sick don't have as much of a viral load?

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This variolation is yet to be proven but my clinical impression is that masks help prevent illness in both directions. So mask up!

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From what I have read about the ongoing mutations the Covid19 virus is undergoing, I haven't seen any studies indicating less virulence. Actually, the opposite seems to be occurring. Hopefully, science will come up with answers.

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Well early on there was variability in virulence . And here: https://on.ft.com/3dNQD1K You may very well be correct. Just sharing my clinical impressions

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We lay people appreciate your clinical impressions. Keep us up to speed.

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Biden doesn't need to campaign. Trump's making all his points for him. The stink of the panther sweat of total terror is like a miasmic cloud - you can catch the smell everywhere. I love watching him flail. A lifetime of bad karma is now arriving, marked "payment on delivery."

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The problem is that he isn’t out of office yet even after the votes are in. That SOB remains in our House until January. Let’s not forget that tidbit. Plus, McTurtleneck is busting his ass in getting Amy Coney Island Barrett on the bench of SCOTUS. He is our real barrier to having a more cohesive country. Nothing would give me great pleasure to see all of them occupy the same cell in prison.

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Morning, all! So I'm wondering what Barr is up to as we have not heard much from him. What say you?

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Barr will now be weighing up his career options after Trump loses on Nov 3rd and has to cede power....and evaluating what he can achieve FOR HIMSELF and not Trump between now and Jan 20th. He can fight with Pompeo etc to lead the crazy theocracy exponent's movement but none of them would attract any more than close family support and funding or he can attach himself to some, as yet below the horizon, rising star. One thing for certain , for what he has don to the DOJ, he's likely to be disbarred and so can't count on "returning to legal practice". His reputation has never been great but now will stink of both his assistance in Trump's corruption and their collective incompetence. That leaves him with few options. So what is left? Only trying to protect his "rear end". I think we can expect a firestorm of personal records, compromising archives and incriminating communications. Some hope! He'll never be able to get at and destroy everything. His one and only hope would seem to be that Trump resigns, Pence takes over and pardons everyone! He has, as yet, not been associated with State crimes that I know of. Perhaps he is plotting. We don't hear much from Pence either.

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Ah, yes. #DisbarBarr sounds like a good first step.

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He should retire and spend his free time trying to keep his portly self out of legal trouble.

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Could he afford the legal fees? Nobody, and certainly not Koch/GOP is going to pay for him. Failure is not rewarded in those circles.

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Barr, too, can write a tell-all book.

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Who would buy it? I’m assuming Trump’s base doesn’t care about Barr enough to read his book. The only way they would read it is if Fox told them to buy it and read it. And I’m doubtful that Trump’s base actually reads anything if it isn’t on OAN or Bannon’s website. There I said it. And I don’t care.

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Would anybody be interested? I think he will sink into the well of histories forgotten minor vilains. He is far too full of himself to get really down to the nitty, gritty TRUTH.

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Thanks, Stuart. I'm "rootin'" for your eloquent briefing save Pence's ability to pardon everyone!

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We'll see. the rats are getting very "stressed"!

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I hear Siberia is awaiting his arrival.

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I’ve been wondering about that for a while. He’s desperately trying to find something new, or some ‘proof’ of an earlier claim against Biden. Trump is dangling him out a 80th floor window after threatening to let go of him if their plan to expose Biden (via Hunter or otherwise) doesn’t get some solid legs.

Since this October Surprise has fallen flat on its face.

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McConnell has just shown clearly in the latest COVID economic package rejection that Trump can nolonger credibly hang anybody out to "dry". Everybody for themselves now, while some plan for 2024 as they've not learned anything in all this.

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Has he been seen since the Rose Garden super spreader event? Hmmm

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I say, "Big man, low profile." Barr is dangerously warped, but not stupid. This seems like his last gasp effort to go off-leash.

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Wow... That's a lot to take in. So many moving parts. I am very proud of your reporting here and of the brave journalists who are relentlessly pursuing facts to a standard of truth we can all respect. I encourage everyone everywhere to watch The Social Dilemma on Netflix which explains how disinformation is being spread worldwide. I have often wondered how people can come to such polar opposite conclusions with the same base of information. But the fact is, we are not all getting the same information. Credible journalism must get center stage, be better funded, and come out from behind paywalls so it is more accessible to the masses.

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How people process information is inherently biased by your beliefs, in my opinion. I had an incident years ago arguing with a boss about a clause in a labor contract. We laid the document on a table, where I put my finger on the wording in question and told him it backed my claim. He put his finger on the same line and claimed it said the opposite. Two people can look at the same words and reach opposite conclusions about what they mean. That was a very eye opening moment for me.

I'm not taking away from your point about the danger of disinformation, which is a serious problem without easy solutions. But to add that even with agreed upon facts, political and philosophical differences are a huge hurdle to finding consensus in running a government.

As I write this I'm having another thought I want to add, which is I wonder how much the use of mis- and dis-information is a political strategy to just muddy the water and thereby avoid the deeper discussion of what actually is the best political philosophy to apply for the best outcome for the greatest number of people? If your side feels they will lose that debate, best to avoid it altogether I think.

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Years ago when I was first married & we were in the early stages of our careers, my husband came home & made the statement he & a colleague had apparently not been in the same meeting even though they were leaving the same room. It was good to learn this at a young age.

Syd Griffin, I had not thought about it applying to written words as well which does make sense. Thanks for sharing your story.

This is why we can re-read books & re-watch shows & get something new out of it.

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We are in violent agreement. And our agreement hinges primarily on having similar facts, without which the gap widens beyond our ability to perceive any points of consensus. Also, to your point, dis- and mis- information has been an "art of war" tactic for forever. Propaganda

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That is so true, Kim, and so mystifying. The other day my wife alerted me to a video that outlined the very different responses to the same information by two groups that most people see as practically identical. It turns out...they’re not, in very fundamental ways.

Here’s the link:

https://youtu.be/W4eS2E-PoGo

I found it most enlightening.

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This felt like a “good news letter” in many ways! Yay! I am imagining our world with Biden and Harris as our leaders and it feels peaceful and hopeful!

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The Disgusting Creature has always been an unhinged door, but as the wind blows stronger it shows more that it is about to fall loose. But he is nothing, just a figurehead to focus the ignorance, hatred and bigotry of a nation fallen into a Dark Ages mentality, devoid of science and facts and given to absurd conspiracy beliefs. A clue to those of us with sense (I feel like a damned genius next to his supporters) was the whole ridiculous Birther Conspiracy, which was easily refuted and yet it persisted like all the other big lies that he has repeated so often that the weak-minded now know it as fact. (Along with Qanon, COVID Leaving like a Miracle, Fake News, Her E-Mails, His Laptop, Ad Infinitum). The fact that this creature won the 2016 election is appalling – the fact that after 4 years of his idiocy, he has a chance to win again even moreso. It is not him, it is the blind ignorance of his cult following that is truly frightening. There is so much parallel here with the Repugnant Regime & the rise of Nazism in Germany that it is no longer a matter of “IF” but a matter of “It Has Happened Here.”

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It seems to be the general consensus that Donald Trump will lose the upcoming election on both a popular vote and an electoral college basis because of his failure to properly address the challenges posed by the Covid19 virus pandemic. That would be a good result, of course, but for the wrong reason. Does that mean that if there were no such thing as Covid19, he would win re-election? Does that mean that if there were no such thing as Covid19, Americans would be willing to trade in democracy and the Constitution for an administration no better than a crew of miscast actors, merely attempting to play the roles they are pretending to fill, rather than seriously doing their jobs. It is paradoxical that the Covid19 pandemic might be Trump’s undoing and the salvation of the nation.

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Yours is a sad thought, Jacob. But remember they couldn't pin anything on Al Calpone but did get him for tax evasion.

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I have this same thought. The paradox is painful, but Covid may be our salvation.

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The Biden campaign is doing all kinds of interesting things, including an adorable video of cats being goofy with campaign stuff, apparently compiled by campaign workers' own videos. It is that level of sweetness that we have lacked so utterly for the last four years of "--wait . . . what?!?!" news and actions from Washington.

My worry (because I am a worrier) is this: To what level of destruction is the GOP willing to go BETWEEN November and Inauguration Day? I suspect a lot. They will try to wreck everything, no matter if it destroys their own constituents.

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Agreed...the period between when the victor is announced and when the next President is installed in office is 2 1/2 months. We all know what havoc Trump can wreak in that amount of time, and whatever is left of the current Republican Senate will go right along with him. When these people all go home (which is what I pray happens in January), I hope they go home to people who want an accounting of why they acted like they did. A true accounting, not the usual BS that spouts out of them. When do politicians finally remember the people who put them in office and what THEIR needs are???

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We live is such a wacky time, I keep expecting to hear articles about Cheshire Cat and Mad Hatter sightings. Corruption is like mold and mildew, as once established it is hard to eradicate. Hopefully we can kick these nutters out and start to clean out the mess and we are not too late.

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tRump does seem to be flailing for anything to grab onto as the ship sinks. But, he's a master at last minute "news", so we mustn't let down our guard. Most of his antics now, I believe, are steroid driven. He's threatening to do 5 rallies a day until Nov 3. Trump on steroids for sure. 13 days....Please, everyone VOTE!

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Isn’t it dangerous to stay on steroids for so long?

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I hope so! It pales in comparison to the danger of a country on trump. Trump is the new Crack! Pun intended.

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I enjoy escapist movies. This week I did a “Star Wars” binge watching the original trilogy, numbered “IV-V-VI” from 1977 to ’83. The Evil Empire in those movies made subliminal reference to Nazi’s from Darth Vader’s helmet shape and the uniforms of the military leaders.

Last nite I watched the more recent prequel “Star Wars III” from 2005 and discovered I can’t escape from today’s reality even in escapist movies.

This scene with Chancellor Palpatine (Emperor)

Addressing the Senate of the Republic

“In order to ensure security and continuous stability The Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire. For a safe and secure society.

(Loud Applause in the Auditorium)

Padme:

“So this is how liberty dies. With thunderous applause.”

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Made during the Bush II era.

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